Smart phones are required to support global positioning system (GPS) capability by September of 2012. Other mobile devices and televisions are required to support GPS capability by 2018. Many mobile devices, for example mobile phones, associate metadata with content generated or captured by the mobile device, for example photos. For a photo taken by a mobile device, this metadata can include GPS data showing the location where the photo was taken, a date showing when the photo was taken, the name of the owner of the mobile device, and other data such as comments or the names of the people in the photo. Typically this associated metadata stays with the photo and can be retrieved by recipients/viewers of the photo, including unintended recipients/viewers of the photo. Users have limited control of this metadata, especially after the content is sent to other users or shared through social networking, photo sharing or other Internet sites.
Privacy issues due to metadata associated with on-line content is a growing concern. Electronic device makers and service providers, and many Internet sites provide varying capabilities to users to control metadata. Many electronic devices record and save metadata associated with content generated or stored on the device. Some device makers and service providers allow a user to view all or part of this stored metadata, while others do not even allow the user to view the associated metadata. Some device makers and service providers allow limited editing of this stored metadata, for example associating a name or other comment with content on the device. Social networking and photo sharing sites have different rules regarding metadata associated with uploaded or generated content. These sites maintain the metadata associated with content, some of these sites allow users to show metadata associated with content, and some allow users to edit some of the metadata associated with content.
The present system and method can be used to manage, control and organize metadata associated with content on various types of electronic devices. These electronic devices can include but are not limited to mobile devices, smart phones, digital cameras, computers, and consumer electronic devices. The system can be part of the device operating system software, a stand-alone application, or part of an integrated component embedded in a GPS-capable device, a camera, a baseband or a system-on-chip (SoC). The system can be used with various types of content including but not limited to digital images and digital videos. Many devices do not allow users to control personal information which is recorded as metadata and stored in content. GPS data, also known as geolocation data or a geotag, dates and name tags are examples of this metadata. Current image capture devices, like mobile phones and digital cameras allow users to turn off geotagging/GPS for their cameras but this method is not ideal for users who want to keep this metadata in their original photos but not include it when sharing their photos on the internet, text or email. The present system enables users to have control over this metadata which is recorded and associated with digital content, so they can remove personal information before sharing them on social networks, email, text and the internet, but let them keep this metadata in their personal copies of the content.
A method is disclosed for controlling metadata associated with content on an electronic device. The method includes displaying interface screens on a display of the electronic device for user entry of instructions regarding metadata control, accepting user instructions regarding metadata control through an input mechanism, modifying metadata of applicable content in accordance with the user instructions, and associating the modified metadata with the applicable content. Associating the modified metadata with the applicable content can include making an electronic copy of original content, associating the modified metadata with the electronic copy, the electronic copy being the applicable content, and not modifying the metadata associated with the original content. Accepting user instructions regarding metadata control can include accepting a profile describing modifications to be made to the metadata. Modifying the metadata of applicable content can include automatically making the modifications described in the profile before exporting the applicable content along with the modified metadata.
The method can also include exporting the applicable content along with the modified metadata from the electronic device. Exporting the applicable content can include electronically mailing the applicable content over a network, uploading the applicable content to a website over a network, or sharing the applicable content with a third party.
The method can also include storing the applicable content along with the modified metadata in memory on the electronic device, and marking the applicable content to indicate that the associated metadata has been modified. Marking the applicable content can include adding a watermark to the applicable content.
The method can include exporting the applicable content along with the modified metadata from the electronic device; and accepting user instructions regarding metadata control can include accepting a plurality of profiles describing modifications to be made to the metadata; and modifying the metadata of applicable content can include determining any relevant profiles of the plurality of profiles, and automatically making the modifications described in the relevant profiles before exporting the applicable content along with the modified metadata. Determining any relevant profiles can include determining a user-selected mechanism for exporting the applicable content, or determining a user-selected destination for exporting the applicable content, or determining a type of content for the applicable content. Modifying the metadata of applicable content can include, when no relevant profiles are found, notifying the user that no relevant profiles were found, and enabling the user to manually modify the metadata of the applicable content before exporting the applicable content.
The method can also include displaying a plurality of content items on the display of the electronic device, and enabling user selection of the applicable content by selecting one or more content items of the plurality of content items. Displaying a plurality of content items can include displaying a watermark to indicate modified content items of the plurality of content items, the metadata associated with the modified content items having already been modified by the system. The plurality of content items can include photos and/or videos stored on the electronic device. Displaying a plurality of content items can include displaying a metadata indicator for each content item that indicates whether that content item has associated metadata information, and/or displaying a geolocation indicator for each content item that indicates whether that content item has associated geolocation metadata information. The method can also include displaying metadata information associated with the applicable content on the display of the electronic device. The method can also include enabling user modification of the displayed metadata information associated with the applicable content, and associating the modified metadata information with the applicable content. The user interface screens can display a map with a pin indicating a desired location, and modifying the metadata of applicable content can include modifying the location information in the metadata of the applicable content to be the desired location.
The interface screens can include an include author selection and an author entry field, and modifying the metadata of applicable content can include: deleting author information from the metadata of the applicable content when the include author selection is not selected, overwriting the author information in the metadata of the applicable content with the entry from the author entry field when the include author selection is selected and the author entry field has an entry, and not modifying the author information in the metadata of the applicable content when the include author selection is selected and the author entry field has no entry. The interface screens can include a watermark selection, and modifying the metadata of applicable content can include adding a watermark to the applicable content when associating the modified metadata with the applicable content. The interface screens can include a filename field; and modifying the metadata of applicable content can include changing the filename in the metadata of the applicable content to include the entry in the filename field when the filename field has an entry, and not modifying the filename in the metadata of the applicable content when the filename field has no entry. The interface screens can include a remove date/time selection; and modifying the metadata of applicable content can include removing the date/time information from the metadata of the applicable content when the remove date/time selection is selected, and not modifying the date/time information in the metadata of the applicable content when the remove date/time selection is not selected. The interface screens can include a remove location selection; and modifying the metadata of applicable content can include removing the location information from the metadata of the applicable content when the remove location selection is selected, and not modifying the location information in the metadata of the applicable content when the remove location selection is not selected. The interface screens can include a remove all selection; and modifying the metadata of applicable content can include removing all of the identifying information from the metadata of the applicable content when the remove all selection is selected, and not removing all of the identifying information from the metadata of the applicable content when the remove all location selection is not selected.
A system is disclosed for controlling metadata associated with content on an electronic device. The system includes a user interface with screens for display on the electronic device for entry of instructions regarding metadata control; an input mechanism accepting the instructions through the user interface; a metadata modification component modifying metadata associated with applicable content in accordance with the instructions; and a metadata association component associating the modified metadata with the applicable content. The metadata association component can make an electronic copy of original content, associate the modified metadata with the electronic copy, and not modify the metadata associated with the original content, the electronic copy being the applicable content. The system can also include a sharing component that prepares the applicable content along with the modified metadata for export from the electronic device. The sharing component can prepare the applicable content and the modified metadata for electronic mailing over a network, for uploading to a website over a network, or for electronic sharing with a third party. The system can also include a memory that stores the applicable content along with the modified metadata, and a marking component that marks the applicable content to indicate that the associated metadata has been modified. The marking component can add a watermark to the applicable content.
The user interface can include screens for entry of a profile including instructions regarding metadata control, and the input mechanism can accept the profile. The system can also include a sharing component that prepares the applicable content along with the modified metadata for export from the electronic device, and the metadata modification component can automatically make the modifications described in the profile before providing the applicable content and the modified metadata to the sharing component.
The system can include a sharing component that prepares the applicable content along with the modified metadata for export from the electronic device, and the input mechanism can accept a plurality of profiles describing modifications to be made to the metadata, and the metadata modification component can determine any relevant profiles of the plurality of profiles, and automatically make the modifications described in the relevant profiles of the plurality of profiles before providing the applicable content and the modified metadata to the sharing component. The metadata modification component can determine relevant profiles based on a user-selected mechanism for exporting the applicable content, or a user-selected destination for exporting the applicable content, or a type of content for the applicable content. When no relevant profiles are found the metadata modification component can notify the user that no relevant profiles were found, and enables the user to manually modify the metadata of the applicable content before providing the applicable content to the sharing component.
The system can include a display component that displays a plurality of content items on the screen of the electronic device, and the input mechanism can accept user selection of the applicable content by selecting one or more content items of the plurality of content items. The system can also include a marking component that marks content to indicate that the associated metadata has been modified, and the display component can display a watermark to indicate modified content items of the plurality of content items, the metadata associated with the modified content items having already been modified by the system. The content items can include photos and/or videos stored on the electronic device. The display component can display a metadata indicator for each content item that indicates whether that content item has associated metadata information. The display component can display a geolocation indicator for each content item that indicates whether that content item has associated metadata information that includes geolocation information. The system can also include a metadata display component that displays metadata information associated with the applicable content on the display of the electronic device. The metadata modification component can enable user editing of displayed metadata information associated with the applicable content, and associate the edited metadata information with the applicable content. The user interface can include a map with a pin indicating a desired location, and the metadata modification component can modify the metadata location information of the applicable content to be the desired location.
The user interface can include an include author selection and an author entry field; and the metadata modification component can delete the author information from the metadata of the applicable content when the include author selection is not selected, overwrite the author information in the metadata of the applicable content with the entry from the author entry field when the include author selection is selected and the author entry field has an entry, and not modify the author information in the metadata of the applicable content when the include author selection is selected and the author entry field has no entry. The system can include a marking component for marking content to indicate that the associated metadata has been modified, and the user interface can include a watermark selection field, where the marking component adds a watermark to the applicable content when the watermark selection field is selected and the metadata of the applicable content is modified, and does not add a watermark to the applicable content when the watermark selection field is not selected. The user interface can include a filename field; and the metadata modification component can change the filename in the metadata of the applicable content to include the entry in the filename field when the filename field has an entry, and not change the filename in the metadata of the applicable content when the filename field has no entry. The user interface can include a remove date/time selection; and the metadata modification component can remove the date/time information from the metadata of the applicable content when the remove date/time selection is selected, and not modify the date/time information in the metadata of the applicable content when the remove date/time selection is not selected. The user interface can include a remove location selection; and the metadata modification component can remove the location information from the metadata of the applicable content when the remove location selection is selected, and not modify the location information in the metadata of the applicable content when the remove location selection is not selected. The user interface can include a remove all selection; and the metadata modification component can remove all of the identifying information from the metadata of the applicable content when the remove all selection is selected, and not remove all of the identifying information from the metadata of the applicable content when the remove all selection is not selected.